Agitator for washing machines



I Jan. 5, 1943. v c.. 'FREITAS 2,307,458

" AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACH INES Fiied u y 1940 INVENTOR.

QuiN c. FREITAS,

I ZTTOR I NEYSZ I Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES rarest OFFICE AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Joaquin G. Freitas, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application July 1,.1940, Serial No. 343,413

Claims. (01.68-134) The present invention relates to improvements in an agitator for a washing machine, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an agitator for a washing machine, which will funotionlike amechanical washboard in that the agitator will have a washing and churning efiect upon the clothes. The agitator has radially-extendingblades with washboard .ribs and grooves on both sides of each blade that extend downwardly at an .angle toward the edges of the blades. This .angularity may be 45, for instance.

The central standard of the agitatoris made in the shape of an inverted truncated vcone, and the standard cooperates .with the ribs and grooves for causing the water, suds and clothes to move inwardly .-at the top of the agitator, thence downwardly and outwardly toward the rim of the agitator base and finally outwardly along the wall of thetub. A circulation of water is thus set up between adjacent blades that is in the nature of a planetary movement. The water, suds and clothes moving in this manner will cause the clothes to frictionally move over the ribbed surfaces of the agitator blades and be washed clean with the minimum amount of wear and tear.

The agitator blades have rounded edges offering less water resistance and obviates any harshgripping action by the blades. The truncated inverted cone, which forms the central hub or standard of the agitator, facilitates the cas- 'f' silk goods and articles made of rayon or other similar delicate materials. This does away with the necessity of placing such articles in a bag or other container prior to the washing thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention will be particularly set forth in the claims hereunto annexed.

For a better understanding of my invention,

reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, in which:

i ure 1 is an isometric view of myagitator or Washer churner;

Figure 2 is a top plan viewof the same device as that illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 a transverse sectional view taken through the truncated conical base with the inverted standard connected thereto, the standard being shown in elevation.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be clearly understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide an agitator or washer .churner indicated generally at A. This agitator has a truncated conical base B, an inverted truncated coneshaped hub or standard C rising vertically from the center of the base, and radially-extending washboard blades or vanes D projecting from the standard to the rim of the base.

The base has a concave underneath surface I and a convex upper surface 2 (see Figure 4). The base has a rim 3 that may be disposed close to the bottom of a washing machine tub '(not shown). The standard C isclearly displayed in Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the drawing. The smaller end of the standard has a shoulder 4 resting on the upper side of the base B. A reduced-cylindrical end 5 at the bottom of the standard is snugly received in a central opening 6 provided in the base.

The standard may be secured to the base in this manner, or by any other suitable means. They may be glued together, -forexample, if the parts are made of wood, orcast integralwhen made' of metal. Plastic may be used for the agitator, if desired. The standard C has a noncircular bore 1 axially aligned and extending inwardly from the cylindrical end 5. This bore is designed to receive a rockable support (not shown) normallyrprovided in washing machines. .The support will rotate the agitator the desired number of degrees in one direction and will then reverse the-movement in a manner common to washing machines of the agitator type. In other words, the driving means for the agitator is connected to the latter by the bore 1.

The blades or vanes D form an important part of the invention. I have shown three blades 'as extending radially from the standard, although I do not wish to be confined to this exact number. Each blade is identical to the others and therefore a description of one will sufiice.

It will be noted from Figure 1 that the blades abut the base and the standard throughout the entire length of the blades. The outer edge of the blade is indicated at 8 and is rounded and inclined inwardly from the vertical as shown by the broken line 9 in Figure 1. The inclined outer edge of the blade merges into the top edge in a gradual and graceful curve 81. The width of the blade, therefore is wider at the base of the agitator and this width decreases toward the top of the glades. During oscillation of the agitator, the wider width of the blades at the base will cause a greater displacement of water than toward the tops of the blades. This will result in causing the water and suds to move in a general vertical direction, flowing downwardly along the central standard C and outwardly over the uppermost surface of the base.

The tapering ofthe standard and the sloping of the top of the base B will materially facilitate this movement of the water in a vertical direction.

Each side of the blade has washboard ribs I0 and grooves ll formed. therein. The ribs and grooves extend downwardly at an angle of approximately 45 from the standard toward the base B. The tops of the ribs lie flush with the side surfaces of the blade and the grooves extend to the rounded outer edge 8 and gradually merge thereinto as shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 3, the grooves on one side of the blade are disposed directly opposite the ribs on the other side. Both sides of each groove may be substantially flat as shown in Figure 3, with the sides of the grooves extending at an angle relative to one another. The bottoms of the grooves may be curved slightly, if desired. The blades are rigidly secured to the base and standard. In the event that the agitator is cast from metal, such as duralumin, or a plastic, the blades will be integral with the base and standard.

I wish to particularly point out that the grooves are inclined downwardly and extend outwardly relative to the central hub or standard C. When the agitator or churner is oscillated, theblades, of course, will strike against a wall of water. The leading edge of each blade will bear against this wall or body of water, and the latter will tend to flow outwardly along the grooves and over the rounded edges 8 of the blades.- The grooves, therefore, act as gutters and direct the water downwardly and outwardly. This will further add to the planetary movement dimensions, I have heretofore obtained good results from an agitator having a base with a diameter of twelve inches (12") with a slope on the upper surface of the base of an inch and one-half (1%") from the rim of the opening 6 to the upper edge of the base rim 3. The length or height of the inverted cone is eleven and onehalf inches (11 /2") with the top diameter being four inches (4") and the lower diameter two inches (2) for'the inverted cone. The blades have a heighth equal to the length of the standard C and a bottom length equal to the distance between the standard and. the base rim. It is obvious that these dimensions may be changed.

The agitator, when rocking in the water, suds and clothes, will churn the water and suds for .setting upa planetary movement of the fluid in the manner set forth hereinabove. This will move the clothes into contact with the sides of the blades and the washboard surfaces thereof will thoroughly clean thearticles' without undue wear and tear thereon. The agitator insures the complete circulation of the contents in the washing machine in a planetary fashion. Full use is made of the friction between the clothes and the churner blades for washing purposes. The suds will penetrate the clothes and remove the dirt. The agitator may be substituted for the one in the washing machine without requiring any alof the water; that is, setting up movement of the water in vertical directions. Upon reversing the direction of turning the agitator, the opposite faceof each blade will become active. This will facilitate the cascading of both liquid and articles so as to insure complete circulation of the contents, thus obtaining full use of the friction against the churner blades, action of suds and penetrating force of the liquid through the clothes.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of my invention, the operation thereof may terations in the latter.

The device is simple in construction and durable and efiicient for the purpose intended. The outer ends of the grooves ll gradually merge into the rounded edges 8 of the blades as at Ila, and therefore offer no resistance to the flow of water along the grooves.

I claim:

'1. An agitator for a washing machine comprising a substantially conical-shaped base, an inverted truncated cone-shaped standard extending upwardly from the center of the base, and blades projecting radially from the standard and upwardly from the base, the sides of the blades being provided with ribs and grooves extending down- Iglardly at an angle from the standard toward the ase.

2. An agitator for a washing machine comprising a base, an inverted truncated conical-shaped standard rising from the base, and blades extending radially from the standard and upwardly from the base, the faces of the blades being provided with ribs and grooves extending downwardly at an angle from the standard toward the base.

3. An agitator for a washing machine comprising a base, an inverted truncated cone-shaped standard rising from the base, and blades extending from the standard in a radial direction and from the base, the blades extending from the standard .to the rim of the base and from the base to the top of the standard, the outer edges -of the blades being inclined inwardly from the base toward the top of the standard. whereby the blades have a greater width at the base and less width toward the top of the standard, the faces of the blades having ribs and grooves extending downwardly at an angle from the standard toward the base.

4. An agitator for a washing machine comprising a conical base, an inverted truncated conicalshaped standard rising centrally from the base, and blades extending radially from the standard and upwardly from the base, the outer upright edges of the blades coinciding with the base rim and extending inwardly and upwardly at a slight angle, the upper blade edges substantially coincidjng with the top of the standard and being curved at their outer corners to merge into the upright edges, both side faces of each blade bein provided with grooves and ribs, the grooves and ribs extending downwardly at an angle from points adjacent to the standard toward the base, whereby a reciprocation of the agitator in a fluid with clothes will cause the fluid to flow inwardly toward the top of the standard, thence downwardly toward the base and outwardly to the base rim, the clothes being moved over the ribs by the fluid in its downward movement between adjacent blades.

5. An agitator for a washing machine providing a maximum of fluid action with a minimum of harsh gripping for the clothes and comprising a base, an inverted truncated conical-shaped standard rising centrally from the base, and blades extending radially from the standard and upwardly from the base, the edges of the blades being arcuate in cross section, each blade having upwardly and slightly inwardly inclined portions rising from the base, these portions merging into curved portions that extend to the standard top, the sides of the blades disposed inwardly of the edges being provided with grooves and ribs that extend downwardly at an angle from points adjacent to the standard toward the base, the outer ends of those grooves and ribs that terminate at the arcuate blade edges gradually merging into the arcuate cross-sectonal curvatures of the edges.

JOAQUIN C. FREITAS. 

